The California getaway with the tallest trees on Earth, oysters and so much awe
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I’ve been intrigued by the Northern California area of Humboldt County ever since the fourth grade. That’s when my teacher told us the story of the Gold Rush town of Eureka: In the 1850s, when prospectors struck gold, they would yell “Eureka!” which is Greek for “I have found it!” What a funny word, I thought.
My curiosity about the area later grew when I learned about its logging renaissance — vast swaths of old-growth redwood forests were felled to make ships and build railroads, both of which were needed to transport this valuable commodity to the rest of the country and beyond. It wasn’t until 1918 with the formation of the Save the Redwoods League that preservation efforts began to try to halt the rapid depletion of the old-growth forests, which, by that point, had dwindled down to between 5% to 10%. From those efforts, Humboldt Redwoods State Park was established in 1921, followed by the formation of Redwoods National Park in 1968. Today the four parks that make up Redwood National and State Parks cover about 139,000 acres of land and protect nearly half of the world’s remaining old-growth redwood forests.
And it was the lure of walking beneath these giants that I, decades past that fourth-grade history lesson, finally decided to make my pilgrimage.
It took this long because, dear reader, Redwood National and State Parks are not easy to get to from L.A.
By car, without accounting for traffic and breaks, it would be at least a 12-hour journey along the 101, through San Francisco, past wine country and bypassing Mendocino before you reach Humboldt County, where the southern end of the parks begin. Realistically, it would take a few days and a couple of overnight stays along the way to get there, which is fine if you’re in it for the road trip; but if you’re like me and only have the weekend, this leaves one option: flying into California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport, a.k.a. Arcata-Eureka Airport (ACV), the only airport that services the area. United has direct flights there from LAX. But Burbank Airport has Breeze Airways offering direct flights three times a week with prices as low as $80 roundtrip.
When I landed at Arcata-Eureka Airport, it felt smaller than some municipal airfields — and just as quiet. That calm set the tone for the rest of the weekend. I walked in peaceful serenity between trees so tall and ancient they recalibrated my sense of time. I discovered that life in Humboldt County, and neighboring Del Norte County near the Oregon border, moves at that same unhurried pace. The fog retreats slowly in the morning. Night arrives gently, carried in on the mist.
And I learned that Humboldt County — including the cities of Eureka, Arcata and Ferndale — is full of treasures beyond its abundance of the Earth’s tallest trees. Whether I was eating a greasy cheeseburger at a family-run diner that becomes the social center of town after 9 p.m. or slurping oysters at a bar that harvested them from its own farm just offshore, it became clear that this place is shaped by discovery, exploitation and preservation. What follows are hikes, sights and bites that should get you started for a weekend full of your own “Eureka!” moments.
About This Guide
Our journalists independently visited every spot recommended in this guide. We do not accept free meals or experiences. What should we check out next? Send ideas to guides@latimes.com.
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Slurp clam chowder at Toni’s 24-Hour Restaurant
Arcata Restaurant
(Andrew Cullen / For The Times)
Toni’s 24-Hour Restaurant isn’t just an all-night truck-stop. When the clock ticks past 9 p.m., it becomes the busiest place for miles, packed not just with weary truckers but families and college students from nearby Cal-Poly Humboldt, all hungry for a club sandwich, a slice of pie with coffee, or one of the best deals in town: a hot-off-the-griddle greasy spoon cheeseburger for $8.
A lot has changed since owner-operator Toni Collenberg’s parents bought the diner 50 years ago when she was just 20. After multiple remodels, the restaurant’s footprint has expanded with new dining rooms to meet customer demand. What remains the same is the warm service and the excellent food. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with choice paralysis — the menu marquee is as voluminous as a New York deli’s. When in doubt, look to the right and check the blackboard of specials. You can’t go wrong with whatever’s on it.
Insider tip: If there’s an option to add soup, always get the clam chowder. It’s rich, creamy, full of clams and not an insignificant amount of bacon that tells you that it was made from scratch. And if you don’t get an order of onion rings, hand-battered hoops fried into a tangled nest of crispiness, then you’re doing it wrong.
A lot has changed since owner-operator Toni Collenberg’s parents bought the diner 50 years ago when she was just 20. After multiple remodels, the restaurant’s footprint has expanded with new dining rooms to meet customer demand. What remains the same is the warm service and the excellent food. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with choice paralysis — the menu marquee is as voluminous as a New York deli’s. When in doubt, look to the right and check the blackboard of specials. You can’t go wrong with whatever’s on it.
Insider tip: If there’s an option to add soup, always get the clam chowder. It’s rich, creamy, full of clams and not an insignificant amount of bacon that tells you that it was made from scratch. And if you don’t get an order of onion rings, hand-battered hoops fried into a tangled nest of crispiness, then you’re doing it wrong.
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Find the Dyerville Giant at Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Forest
(Andrew Cullen / For The Times)
Once upon a time, California’s old-growth redwood forests covered 2.2 million acres, an area seven times the city of Los Angeles. But in the mid-18th century, spurred by the Gold Rush, Euro-American immigrants arrived and the logging started. By the 1920s, continuous demand for lumber decimated the redwoods. With about 5% of what remained facing imminent extinction, conservation movements were formed in a desperate rush to save them.
In 1921, a group called Save the Redwoods League acquired a grove of old-growth redwoods to shield it from the ax. That grove is now part of the Humboldt Redwoods State Park that covers 53,000 acres — almost twice the size of San Francisco.
Most visitors enter the park by way of the most stunning redwood drive on the North Coast: the 32‑mile Avenue of the Giants. While it’s an attraction in and of itself, you must stop and hike along the way.
There are over 20 trails of varying lengths and difficulty. If you’re short on time, look for the Gould Grove Nature Trail, a wheelchair-accessible 0.7 mile loop with a small patch of ancient redwoods right across from the visitors’ center. One of the most family-friendly hikes, and also the largest and most popular grove, is the 1.6 mile loop called Founders’ Grove. There you’ll find the Dyerville Giant, which was once a 362‑foot behemoth before it came down. When it fell in 1991, the crash registered on local seismographs.
In 1921, a group called Save the Redwoods League acquired a grove of old-growth redwoods to shield it from the ax. That grove is now part of the Humboldt Redwoods State Park that covers 53,000 acres — almost twice the size of San Francisco.
Most visitors enter the park by way of the most stunning redwood drive on the North Coast: the 32‑mile Avenue of the Giants. While it’s an attraction in and of itself, you must stop and hike along the way.
There are over 20 trails of varying lengths and difficulty. If you’re short on time, look for the Gould Grove Nature Trail, a wheelchair-accessible 0.7 mile loop with a small patch of ancient redwoods right across from the visitors’ center. One of the most family-friendly hikes, and also the largest and most popular grove, is the 1.6 mile loop called Founders’ Grove. There you’ll find the Dyerville Giant, which was once a 362‑foot behemoth before it came down. When it fell in 1991, the crash registered on local seismographs.
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Stroll Ferndale’s picture perfect Main Street
Ferndale Town
(Andrew Cullen / For The Times)
Surrounded by forests and lined with late 19th-century architecture that out-Disneys Disneyland’s Main Street, Ferndale’s main drag is a scene stealer. The self-described “Victorian Village” played an integral part in “The Majestic,” a 2001 film starring Jim Carrey, and was the place where the first infection originates in the 1995 movie “Outbreak” with Dustin Hoffman. It even passed for a New England hamlet in a made-for-TV horror movie based on a Stephen King novel.
But there may be no better metric to show that Ferndale represents the quintessential American small town than Legoland California’s homage in its “Miniland USA.” A model of Ferndale’s main street stands next to miniature versions of Las Vegas, San Diego, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. — the first and, so far, only city with less than 2,000 people to receive such an honor.
There is, however, nothing like visiting the real thing. The town’s soup-to-nuts general store, Golden Gait Mercantile, carries everything from old-fashioned peppermints to hats to actual soup and nuts. If you’re looking to stay the night, the Victorian Inn at the end of Main Street is iconic. But for the bed and breakfast of your dreams, opt for the Gingerbread Mansion on Brown Street. A room starts at $225 a night, which includes afternoon tea with wine and pastries every day from 4-6 p.m.
But there may be no better metric to show that Ferndale represents the quintessential American small town than Legoland California’s homage in its “Miniland USA.” A model of Ferndale’s main street stands next to miniature versions of Las Vegas, San Diego, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. — the first and, so far, only city with less than 2,000 people to receive such an honor.
There is, however, nothing like visiting the real thing. The town’s soup-to-nuts general store, Golden Gait Mercantile, carries everything from old-fashioned peppermints to hats to actual soup and nuts. If you’re looking to stay the night, the Victorian Inn at the end of Main Street is iconic. But for the bed and breakfast of your dreams, opt for the Gingerbread Mansion on Brown Street. A room starts at $225 a night, which includes afternoon tea with wine and pastries every day from 4-6 p.m.
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Try the scorching salsas at Raliberto's Taco Shop
Eureka Tacos
(Andrew Cullen / For The Times)
If you lived in the San Diego area in the 1990s, you’re familiar with the chain called Alberto’s, which built its dominance selling gut-busting burritos filled with nothing but carne asada, pico de gallo and guacamole. Soon copycats and multiple clones that adopted the -berto’s suffix popped up and at that point, there was no stopping this kind of Mexican food. Now known as San Diego-style, it proliferated and spread through California and neighboring states. Regardless of the name of the joint, the recipes carried the same DNA of the original Roberto’s: a guarantee that the carne asada will be in tender nubbins, the flour tortillas stretchy and the salsas scorching.
This goes for Raliberto’s, the variant that’s now prevalent in Humboldt and Del Norte county. The food is cheap, hot and served in portion sizes that shouldn’t be counted in calories but in pounds gained. And this is because the San Diego-style Mexican is infamous for the innovation that stuffs french fries, cheese and sour cream into an already hefty carne asada burrito: a crunchy carb-inside-carb torpedo to your gut. That this San Diego-born “California Burrito” can be had here in the Northernmost part of the state is reason enough to visit, if only to marvel how far it has traveled.
Fries, by the way, can also be topped with all of the above and eaten like nachos. Or you can sub the fries with tortilla chips and have actual proper nachos.
Insider tip: Those who know only buy the half order. It’s enough to fatten two people.
This goes for Raliberto’s, the variant that’s now prevalent in Humboldt and Del Norte county. The food is cheap, hot and served in portion sizes that shouldn’t be counted in calories but in pounds gained. And this is because the San Diego-style Mexican is infamous for the innovation that stuffs french fries, cheese and sour cream into an already hefty carne asada burrito: a crunchy carb-inside-carb torpedo to your gut. That this San Diego-born “California Burrito” can be had here in the Northernmost part of the state is reason enough to visit, if only to marvel how far it has traveled.
Fries, by the way, can also be topped with all of the above and eaten like nachos. Or you can sub the fries with tortilla chips and have actual proper nachos.
Insider tip: Those who know only buy the half order. It’s enough to fatten two people.
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Hike the Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail at Redwood National and State Parks
Hike
(Andrew Cullen / For The Times)
Walking in Redwood National and State Parks, surrounded by trees that were around during the time of Christ, you are literally a witness to history. Awe is the right emotion, especially when you realize the majesty you’re experiencing was narrowly saved from extinction not that long ago when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation to establish a national park in 1968.
A year later, President Richard Nixon dedicated the park’s Lady Bird Johnson Grove in honor of the former first lady’s conservation efforts. And it’s this trail that’s a must-visit, especially if you’re pressed for time and want a quick lay of the land. The hike starts on a gorgeous bridge that connects the parking lot to the grove and loops back for 1.5 miles, winding through an old-growth redwood forest and second-growth Douglas-fir trees, towering giants that disappear into the mist above you.
Redwood National Park, of course, has dozens of other hikes, drives and adventures to keep you awestruck for days, including Trillium Falls Trail and Fern Canyon Trail Loop. Be aware that some hikes, such as Fern Canyon, require a day-use fee and reservations that get booked months in advance. So it’s a good idea to plan ahead. It’s also a good idea to visit one of the five visitor centers to get advice and information to prepare and optimize your visit, if only to be forewarned of current road conditions and closures.
A year later, President Richard Nixon dedicated the park’s Lady Bird Johnson Grove in honor of the former first lady’s conservation efforts. And it’s this trail that’s a must-visit, especially if you’re pressed for time and want a quick lay of the land. The hike starts on a gorgeous bridge that connects the parking lot to the grove and loops back for 1.5 miles, winding through an old-growth redwood forest and second-growth Douglas-fir trees, towering giants that disappear into the mist above you.
Redwood National Park, of course, has dozens of other hikes, drives and adventures to keep you awestruck for days, including Trillium Falls Trail and Fern Canyon Trail Loop. Be aware that some hikes, such as Fern Canyon, require a day-use fee and reservations that get booked months in advance. So it’s a good idea to plan ahead. It’s also a good idea to visit one of the five visitor centers to get advice and information to prepare and optimize your visit, if only to be forewarned of current road conditions and closures.
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Order an over-the-top sushi roll at Tanuki’s Den in Arcata
Arcata Sushi Restaurant
(Andrew Cullen / For The Times)
Tanuki’s Den is named after mischievous shape-shifting racoon dogs of legend that in some Japanese myths have impersonated humans to imbibe on sake and party. The tanuki is the restaurant’s mascot, and you’ll find the sly bug-eyed critter at random spots as statues and figurines. But the real star of Tanuki’s Den is chef and owner Jacob Talbert, whose sushi obsession began on the island of Kauai in 1999 when he persuaded a master to teach him the craft. It sparked a two-decade career as a sushi journeyman, taking him to Lake Tahoe, to the East Coast, back to Hawaii, then to California’s wine country, and finally here in Humboldt County where he eventually opened Tanuki’s Den in late 2024.
In doing so, Talbert not only brought the tanuki character to Arcata, but also a little bit of Hawaii with him. After you follow the pathway muraled with koi fish that winds past the picnic tables, you come to a building surrounded by bamboo matting. Is it a tiki bar? Will there be mai tais inside? No, but there are macadamias in some of the dishes.
And true to its shape-shifting mascot, Tanuki’s Den is still constantly changing and evolving. At one point it offered sushiritos for lunch. Another time Talbert experimented with a late-night happy hour that featured $4 hand rolls, sake bombs, Wu-Tang Clan music and kung fu movies.
These days, Talbert gets raves for reservation-only omakase nights on Friday where he shows off his sushi chops inside a pocket-sized dining room. On Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday nights, the menu is a la carte. And in a section called “Over the Top Rolls,” he lets his mischievous tanuki spirit loose. Expect anything and everything — such as apples, kimchi and pulsing blue LED glow cubes — to appear and disappear alongside the tuna and salmon. And, of course: sake. So much sake.
In doing so, Talbert not only brought the tanuki character to Arcata, but also a little bit of Hawaii with him. After you follow the pathway muraled with koi fish that winds past the picnic tables, you come to a building surrounded by bamboo matting. Is it a tiki bar? Will there be mai tais inside? No, but there are macadamias in some of the dishes.
And true to its shape-shifting mascot, Tanuki’s Den is still constantly changing and evolving. At one point it offered sushiritos for lunch. Another time Talbert experimented with a late-night happy hour that featured $4 hand rolls, sake bombs, Wu-Tang Clan music and kung fu movies.
These days, Talbert gets raves for reservation-only omakase nights on Friday where he shows off his sushi chops inside a pocket-sized dining room. On Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday nights, the menu is a la carte. And in a section called “Over the Top Rolls,” he lets his mischievous tanuki spirit loose. Expect anything and everything — such as apples, kimchi and pulsing blue LED glow cubes — to appear and disappear alongside the tuna and salmon. And, of course: sake. So much sake.
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Wander through the tree tops at Trees of Mystery in Klamath
Del Norte County Park Attraction
(Andrew Cullen / For The Times)
There are certainly taller roadside attractions than the 49‑foot Paul Bunyan and his 35‑foot companion, Babe the Blue Ox, who loom over Highway 101 in Klamath. But the mythical lumberjack has a trick literally up his sleeve: hidden motors that let his massive hand do a slow yet deliberate wave. And if you catch him when the operator isn’t on break, Paul will even talk to you through a tinny PA system, making him, in the loosest sense, a bona fide audio‑animatronic.
That hint of Disney magic is fitting, because Paul isn’t just a roadside curiosity; he’s the mascot and narrative anchor of the theme park behind him. Established in 1946, Trees of Mystery sprawls through an ancient redwood forest, where a $30 admission grants you access to all the attractions, including the oddities that give the park its name. There’s the Candelabra Tree, a fallen redwood sprouting younger trees from its trunk; the Cathedral Tree, a natural alcove formed by at least nine trunks that’s been used as a wedding venue; and the 2,000‑year‑old Brotherhood Tree, which rises an astonishing 297 feet.
The park’s most spectacular attraction is the Redwood Canopy Trail, which takes you across eight rope bridges suspended between the tallest trees in the world. You’ll climb as high as 100 feet into the canopy and there are no exit points once you commit, so acrophobes and those in high heels may want to stay away. A good second choice are the gondolas that glide up 571 feet between trees. But if it’s social media likes you’re after, those sky-high rope bridges can’t be beat.
That hint of Disney magic is fitting, because Paul isn’t just a roadside curiosity; he’s the mascot and narrative anchor of the theme park behind him. Established in 1946, Trees of Mystery sprawls through an ancient redwood forest, where a $30 admission grants you access to all the attractions, including the oddities that give the park its name. There’s the Candelabra Tree, a fallen redwood sprouting younger trees from its trunk; the Cathedral Tree, a natural alcove formed by at least nine trunks that’s been used as a wedding venue; and the 2,000‑year‑old Brotherhood Tree, which rises an astonishing 297 feet.
The park’s most spectacular attraction is the Redwood Canopy Trail, which takes you across eight rope bridges suspended between the tallest trees in the world. You’ll climb as high as 100 feet into the canopy and there are no exit points once you commit, so acrophobes and those in high heels may want to stay away. A good second choice are the gondolas that glide up 571 feet between trees. But if it’s social media likes you’re after, those sky-high rope bridges can’t be beat.
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Listen for ghosts at Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City
Del Norte County Lighthouse
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Nearly 50 historic lighthouses dot the 800-mile California coastline, but one of the most unique, not to mention picturesque, is Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City.
If you don’t count the St. George Reef Light, which is located at sea six miles off the coast, Battery Point Lighthouse is the northernmost lighthouse in California. It is also one of a few in California built in the 1800s in the Cape Cod style, where the light tower is attached directly to the keeper’s dwelling, jutting out through the red roof like the head of a Transformer robot. No lighthouses built in this style remain on the East Coast, making Battery Point Lighthouse all the more special.
Battery Point Lighthouse is also unique in that it is perched atop a tidal island. If it happens to be low tide when you come, consider yourself lucky. You can cross the narrow isthmus onto the island after a short walk from the parking lot. At high tide the lighthouse is completely inaccessible to visitors.
Tide permitting, the lighthouse is open for tours daily in the spring and summer months from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a $5 entry fee. In the fall and winter, it’s open only on weekends. Inside you’ll learn that it came into operation in 1856 with a kerosene lamp that could be seen for 14 miles. And though it was decommissioned in 1965 — a year after a tsunami killed 11 people and leveled 29 city blocks in Crescent City — it was reactivated as a private aid to navigation in 1982. This means that the lighthouse keepers who live there now are citizen volunteers.
Insider tip: If you visit, listen for the sounds of ghostly footsteps stomping up the stairs in heavy boots. Some believe that one of the longest-serving lighthouse keepers — a man named John Jeffery who came in 1875 with his family and died there after working 40 years — is still around. His was the only recorded death to occur at Battery Point Lighthouse.
If you don’t count the St. George Reef Light, which is located at sea six miles off the coast, Battery Point Lighthouse is the northernmost lighthouse in California. It is also one of a few in California built in the 1800s in the Cape Cod style, where the light tower is attached directly to the keeper’s dwelling, jutting out through the red roof like the head of a Transformer robot. No lighthouses built in this style remain on the East Coast, making Battery Point Lighthouse all the more special.
Battery Point Lighthouse is also unique in that it is perched atop a tidal island. If it happens to be low tide when you come, consider yourself lucky. You can cross the narrow isthmus onto the island after a short walk from the parking lot. At high tide the lighthouse is completely inaccessible to visitors.
Tide permitting, the lighthouse is open for tours daily in the spring and summer months from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a $5 entry fee. In the fall and winter, it’s open only on weekends. Inside you’ll learn that it came into operation in 1856 with a kerosene lamp that could be seen for 14 miles. And though it was decommissioned in 1965 — a year after a tsunami killed 11 people and leveled 29 city blocks in Crescent City — it was reactivated as a private aid to navigation in 1982. This means that the lighthouse keepers who live there now are citizen volunteers.
Insider tip: If you visit, listen for the sounds of ghostly footsteps stomping up the stairs in heavy boots. Some believe that one of the longest-serving lighthouse keepers — a man named John Jeffery who came in 1875 with his family and died there after working 40 years — is still around. His was the only recorded death to occur at Battery Point Lighthouse.
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Capture a magical sunset at Redwood Creek Beach
Del Norte County Beach
(Andrew Cullen / For The Times)
Heading north toward Orick on the Redwood Highway, US-101 is a two-lane road boxed in by a blur of tall trees and brush. But all of a sudden, the trees fall away. As the road descends into a clearing, you’re flanked by bodies of water on both sides. To the right is Freshwater Lagoon. To the left is Redwood Creek Beach, a 2.5-mile stretch of sand on the Pacific where you’re unlikely to encounter another soul. Even at sunset, which is when you want to come, it’s deserted despite the miles of pullouts along the highway inviting you to park and trudge out to the sand. If you’re lucky and it isn’t foggy, you’ll take some of the most gorgeous sunset photos of your life.
Resist the urge to swim though. The currents are strong and the water cold. And if you’re in need of the facilities or want to tuck into your picnic lunch, just a few clicks up the highway is Redwood Creek Picnic Area, with sheltered tables and vault/composting toilets.
If you want flush toilets, up the same driveway to the right, there’s the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitors Center, one of the five visitor centers in Redwood National and State Parks. Built on the site of an old Yurok village, there are exhibits about Yurok culture and, of course, the surrounding redwoods. It’s also the southernmost and most busy of all the centers. In the summer, they’re open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the off-season, they’re closed Wednesdays and Thursdays. So plan your visit (and your potty breaks) accordingly.
Resist the urge to swim though. The currents are strong and the water cold. And if you’re in need of the facilities or want to tuck into your picnic lunch, just a few clicks up the highway is Redwood Creek Picnic Area, with sheltered tables and vault/composting toilets.
If you want flush toilets, up the same driveway to the right, there’s the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitors Center, one of the five visitor centers in Redwood National and State Parks. Built on the site of an old Yurok village, there are exhibits about Yurok culture and, of course, the surrounding redwoods. It’s also the southernmost and most busy of all the centers. In the summer, they’re open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the off-season, they’re closed Wednesdays and Thursdays. So plan your visit (and your potty breaks) accordingly.
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Brave the longest sky walk in the western U.S. at the Sequoia Park Zoo
Eureka Zoo
(Sequoia Park Zoo)
Public service announcement: When you buy a ticket to the Sequoia Park Zoo, you’re also buying a ticket to the Redwood Sky Walk. Despite the separate website for Redwood Sky Walk and the billboards in town that might have made you believe otherwise, they’re not different attractions. There’s one admission price ($24.99 for adults) and it gets you into the zoo in which Redwood Sky Walk is one of its top attractions.
Pound for pound, it’s a reasonable cost for a family-centric experience that allows you to meander through a very respectable menagerie of animals (including three resident black bears named Tule, Ishung and Kunabulilh) and then ascend 100 feet above the forest floor on Redwood Sky Walk, traversing bridges connected between and beneath the canopies of some very tall and majestic redwood trees.
If you have time to do only one sky walk or you don’t want to drive to Trees of Mystery in Klamath, Sequoia Park Zoo’s is the one you want. At 1,104 feet, Redwood Sky Walk is actually longer than Trees of Mystery’s Redwood Canopy Trail, which is about half as long. In fact, Redwood Sky Walk claims to be the longest sky walk in the western United States. And since about 70% of it is a stable and gently-sloped path made of solid wood, the acrophobic and wheelchair-bound can enjoy it too. But if you’re a thrill-seeker and aren’t afraid of heights, you’ll want to walk the last 369 feet, which is made up of four swinging rope bridges with an open mesh bottom.
Pound for pound, it’s a reasonable cost for a family-centric experience that allows you to meander through a very respectable menagerie of animals (including three resident black bears named Tule, Ishung and Kunabulilh) and then ascend 100 feet above the forest floor on Redwood Sky Walk, traversing bridges connected between and beneath the canopies of some very tall and majestic redwood trees.
If you have time to do only one sky walk or you don’t want to drive to Trees of Mystery in Klamath, Sequoia Park Zoo’s is the one you want. At 1,104 feet, Redwood Sky Walk is actually longer than Trees of Mystery’s Redwood Canopy Trail, which is about half as long. In fact, Redwood Sky Walk claims to be the longest sky walk in the western United States. And since about 70% of it is a stable and gently-sloped path made of solid wood, the acrophobic and wheelchair-bound can enjoy it too. But if you’re a thrill-seeker and aren’t afraid of heights, you’ll want to walk the last 369 feet, which is made up of four swinging rope bridges with an open mesh bottom.
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Feast on oysters and cheese at Humboldt Bay Provisions in Eureka
Eureka Cafe
(Andrew Cullen / For The Times)
With a plum corner spot on the bottom floor of the 142-year-old Buhne Building, one of the grandest Victorian structures in Eureka’s Old Town Historic District, Humboldt Bay Provisions has fooled plenty of people who walk in off the street hoping for a sit-down dinner and then leave when they realize the only things on offer are exactly what’s stenciled on the arched windows facing the G and 2nd Street intersection: “Cheese, Wine, Oysters, and Beer.”
That list is, in fact, the entire menu — and it’s all Humboldt Bay Provisions needs. The mission is refreshingly straightforward: showcase the local products and producers that make this region special. Take their cheese tray, which consists of three kinds of chevre made by Cypress Grove of Arcata. In particular, there’s the Humboldt Fog cheese with the blue line of ash that runs through the middle. It’s gooey, rich and spreadable — a goat cheese absent of goat funk that will change the minds of even the most goat-cheese-averse.
Still, to step inside Humboldt Bay Provisions is to enter what is essentially the retail tasting room of Aqua Rodeo Farms, whose oysters are raised in the cold, briny waters of Humboldt Bay. You can slurp them raw on the half shell with sauces such as a classic mignonette, or even a mustard dill sauce sourced from the Larrupin Cafe of Trinidad. Or opt for them broiled, topped with one of 10 accompaniments, including a Sicilian pesto from Nonna Lena’s, a local Italian sauce maker based in Arcata.
Think of Humboldt Bay Provisions as Humboldt County’s unofficial tourism bureau — except here, the brochures are edible.
That list is, in fact, the entire menu — and it’s all Humboldt Bay Provisions needs. The mission is refreshingly straightforward: showcase the local products and producers that make this region special. Take their cheese tray, which consists of three kinds of chevre made by Cypress Grove of Arcata. In particular, there’s the Humboldt Fog cheese with the blue line of ash that runs through the middle. It’s gooey, rich and spreadable — a goat cheese absent of goat funk that will change the minds of even the most goat-cheese-averse.
Still, to step inside Humboldt Bay Provisions is to enter what is essentially the retail tasting room of Aqua Rodeo Farms, whose oysters are raised in the cold, briny waters of Humboldt Bay. You can slurp them raw on the half shell with sauces such as a classic mignonette, or even a mustard dill sauce sourced from the Larrupin Cafe of Trinidad. Or opt for them broiled, topped with one of 10 accompaniments, including a Sicilian pesto from Nonna Lena’s, a local Italian sauce maker based in Arcata.
Think of Humboldt Bay Provisions as Humboldt County’s unofficial tourism bureau — except here, the brochures are edible.
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